I can see why Newman's score was rejected. It did not fit the seriousness of the film. To tell you the truth, I have never really cared for Newman's score. I prefer the Goldsmith/McNeely version a whole heck of a lot more.

Don't get me wrong, I love Jerry's score. Just curious how Newman's worked against the picture. The next scene I'm working on (Don't Touch That) is I think the one that must have got him fired. It's waaaay too patriotic. Goldsmith was able to bring it back down to earth.

I can see why Newman's score was rejected. It did not fit the seriousness of the film.

From the scene provided so far, it certainly sounds serious!

I was working on a project that Randy Newman had a brief role in while he was scoring "Air Force One." (He was supposed to participate more, but "AFO" was keeping him swamped.) I didn't speak with him, other than to say a vague "Hi," but I sat just behind him as he complained about "AIr Force One." He said they were micro-managing him and driving him crazy. At one point, the filmmakers suddenly suggested a Morricone-like sound out of the blue, then considered seeing if Morricone could co-write the score! (This is directly from Newman's mouth!) He said, logically, "I don't know why they hired me if they don't want me to write my music!"

Newman's score is interesting. (Is this the first--and only?--full on action score he's ever written?) But I prefer Goldsmith's. It's theme is more rousing, and the overall score just seems more . . . "focused." Newman's seemed to have a bit too much "Mickey Mousing" and didn't really seem to take much of the film serious.

I can see why Newman's score was rejected. It did not fit the seriousness of the film.

From the scene provided so far, it certainly sounds serious!

I was working on a project that Randy Newman had a brief role in while he was scoring "Air Force One." (He was supposed to participate more, but "AFO" was keeping him swamped.) I didn't speak with him, other than to say a vague "Hi," but I sat just behind him as he complained about "AIr Force One." He said they were micro-managing him and driving him crazy. At one point, the filmmakers suddenly suggested a Morricone-like sound out of the blue, then considered seeing if Morricone could co-write the score! (This is directly from Newman's mouth!) He said, logically, "I don't know why they hired me if they don't want me to write my music!"

And a week or so later, he was fired.

In fairness though, fairplay to them for having the imagination to let someone so alien to the action genre score AFO. That kind of bravery is unrelatable today. A "Morricone" sound as well! That was only 1997 too. It seems like forever since the time before the studios only want everything to sound like THE ROCK. I'm sure if they made AFO one now even it would be one of the Remote Control bunch from start to finish (or the initial composer to be fired would be someone with a hit action movie track record).

Wolfgang Peterson has gone against "type" at least a couple of time with his composers - AFO being one and the infamous Troy being another - and both ended up in disappointment for the respective composers.

Hey Mutant. Just cut to the chase and put up the hijacking sequence next.

I think Goldsmith's score was TEN TIMES more patriotic than the Newman clip provided. But that was kinda the point with this film - EVERYTHING about it goes overboard (no pun intended), especially in the patriotism department, and Goldsmith's score is what REALLY takes it over the edge. It's not necessarily a good thing, and it doesn't make the film any better, but at least it's ENTERTAINING. No one can take that away from it.